A national magazine once said Portland has more restaurants per capita than any place in the United States No one in Maine argues with that assertion, yet, in the burgeoning, beau tiful scene of farm to table, vegetarian, ethnic, experimental, and upscale restaurants, one stands out. Because it floats.
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Water should really be called DiMillo’s In the Water, because it’s a repurposed car ferry moored at Long Wharf. It’s 206 feet long, 65 feet wide and weighs 700 tons (before diners are added). There’s a huge steam engine, but it’s never fired up while diners are present.
With three interior dining rooms and three outside decks capable of seating more than 600 guests at once, DiMillo’s is one of the largest boat based restaurants in the countr\ and the only one in Maine. The vessel bore three names during service as a ferr\ in three states, and a stint as a boat storage and clubhouse for a yacht club before the DiMillo family bought it.
Open seven days for lunch, dinner, and Sunday brunch, DiMillo’s sports, unsur prisinglv, a nautical decor, nianv different lobster options, and an extensive seafood menu. However, the menu also includes non -seafood meals, and. true to the fami ly’s origins, many pasta and Italian dishes. Lunch is served from 114 and dinner is served all day.
Established in 1954, the business is still owned by the DiMillo family. At least four family members hold management posi tions. Since the dining a reas a re neat a nd clean, founder Tony DiMillo must have been referring to the kitchen, when he famously said. “If you’re not making a mess, you’re not doing it right.”
